Shaheen Afridi proved me wrong as captain in PSL: Fakhar Zaman

Shaheen Afridi has won consecutive PSL titles as skipper

PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan opening batter, Fakhar Zaman, has expressed his admiration for the newly appointed T20I captain, Shaheen Afridi's leadership in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), stating that the young cricketer has proven many skeptics wrong.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Zaman commended Afridi's energetic and fighting spirit as a captain, highlighting the significant improvements he observed in his leadership style throughout the PSL.

"Shaheen is an energetic young man, and I really like his fighting spirit as a captain. The way I found him as a captain and the manner in which he proved many people wrong including me, especially during his captaincy in the PSL, is commendable,” Zaman said.

“When he became the captain in the PSL, he showed a lot of improvement match by match. Our prayers and hopes are that the mindset he has brought to Lahore Qalandars for the past two years, he does the same for Pakistan. He takes everyone along with him, and his fearless attitude as a captain, are qualities that one should look for in a leader," he added.

The 33-year-old also expressed his hope for the left-arm pacer's continued success as captain, emphasizing the importance of avoiding fitness issues within the team.

"My only prayer is that he doesn't face any fitness issues in the team that he will lead. As we have seen in cases like Naseem Shah and others in 2023 World Cup, it makes a significant difference if one or a few players face fitness issues. I hope he achieves great success in his captaincy," he concluded.

On November 15th, Babar Azam relinquished his captaincy in all formats after a discussion with Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee.

Following Babar's resignation, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the captain of the Pakistan’s T20I team.

His first responsibility as a leader will be to guide the Men in Green in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand slated for the upcoming year.

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule: